You, Maybe
by Niall-Styles
Summary: Melanie thought she had it all figured out. She balanced school, the boyfriend, and family fairly well. Her world gets shaken up with the arrival of her new exchange student Liam. There's something about him that makes her feel different and she knows it.
1. Chapter 1

"Melanie, dad's going to make you do it again, you know. You're doing a horrible job." Silas threw himself back onto the couch. My brother was so incredibly impatient sometimes.

"Silas, I'm doing the best I can," I shouted over the noise of the vacuum. I pushed it back and forth over the beige carpet Dad had asked me to clean before we left for the airport. I reached down and switched off the vacuum, silencing the only noise in the room besides my bother's huffing and puffing. "There, all done. That wasn't so bad," I said, starting to walk to the wall socket to unplug it. I hadn't noticed that while I was pushing the vacuum in circles around the room, I'd tangled the chord around my ankles. When I took my first step towards the plug, my feet were pulled out from under me and I fell. Flat on my face.

"Oh… My… God! Are you… okay?" Silas asked me, rolling around on the couch clutching his stomach and laughing. "You are so uncoordinated!" He was right. I was completely uncoordinated. I was always the one who fell, who got hurt, the one who couldn't play sports. Silas had enough athletic ability for the both of us. He was the jock and I was the brains. It sounds like the cliché twin story, but it's one hundred percent factual.

"I need to work on that…" I said standing up and untangling myself from the chord.

"Kids, we need to get going!" My mom shouted coming out of her room and walking down the hallway into the living room.

"Finally!" Silas cried, jumping off the brown leather couch and hurtling himself towards the door. We'd been anticipating this day for weeks. Silas and I had always wanted to host an exchange student, and ours was finally arriving today! All I knew about him was he was fifteen-almost sixteen, just like us, British, and his name was Liam. Yes, the school usually didn't pair up male exchange students with a female host, but because of Silas, we ended up with a guy. And hey, I had no problem with it. A guy with a sexy accent living in my house? I think yes.

"Oh. My. God. This is so exciting!" I squealed as we pulled into the airport parking lot. As soon as my mom cut the engine, I threw open the car door and tried to jump out. But, I was restrained and pulled back into the car by my seat belt, which I had forgotten to unbuckle. I scrambled to unfasten the restraint and stumbled out of the car. I turned around to see my mom and my brother trying hard not to laugh at me. "Just, please." I said holding my hand up, imitating one of my favorite 'You Tubers.'

"Race you inside!" Silas cried as he took off towards the revolving doors that marked the entrance to the building.

"No fair! You got a head start!" I shouted after him. Not only did he have a head start, but he was the school track star. As a sophomore, he held the record for the fastest mile. There was no way I could win this race. Besides, if I tried running, I'd probably fall and rip my jeans or something.

We went inside and waited anxiously at the gate to pick up Liam. My mother

held a sign that had our school name on it so he could find us easily. I was full of anticipation and I was just bouncing around the seats like a little Mexican jumping bean. "Melanie, sit down!" my mother scolded, patting the seat next to her.

"Yeah, Melly, you don't want Liam thinking you're a hyperactive puppy do you?" Silas teased.

"Oh, shut up. I'm just a little excited."

"Understatement of the century…" He mumbled.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?" I asked shooting him a glare.

"Nothing." Jeeze my brother, sometimes he annoyed the living hell out of me.

I turned and sat down in the empty chair between my mum and my brother. I twiddled my thumbs for a few minutes anticipating the arrival of Liam when finally I saw a boy, around my age, dragging two large black suitcases behind him and wearing a back backpack on his shoulders. He had shaggy sandy blonde hair that framed his face and big brown eyes. My jaw dropped. I swear, if it hadn't been connected to my face, it would have gone right to the floor. "Y-y-you…y-y-you…y-you're…" I stammered completely horrified with myself, and utterly shocked at what I was seeing standing before me.

"Your exchange student?" He suggested, "Hi, I'm Liam. Liam Payne," he said offering his hand out to me.

My eyes were bugging out of my head, "Y-you…y-you're…" I continued to stutter, still gaping at him.

He turned to Silas, "Is she always like this?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

"Nah, she just thinks you're hot," Silas replied smirking at me.

"No, I do not!" I said a tad too loudly. Yes, I did think this guy was extremely fit, but that wasn't why I was so awestruck when I saw him. He looked _exactly_ like someone I saw on the YouTube site for the British talent show 'X-Factor'. Hell, he even had the same name as him! He'd auditioned last year, and hadn't made it through to the live shows and it broke my heart seeing him get sent home. But, it couldn't be him. It's just way to ironic. "H-he's j-just…" Liam looked at me like a deer in headlights and shook his head ever so slightly, "never mind," I said looking down at the floor and shuffling my feet around.

"Jesus Christ! Melly, just spit it out!" My brother said, obviously irritated that he didn't understand what was going through my head.

"I just thought he looked familiar, that's all," I murmured. I could feel heat rising from my stomach, to my cheeks, and up to my ears. Damn it. I was making a fabulous first impression on Liam, the guy I was going to be _living_ with for the next few months. Not to mention that he was kind of semi famous in the UK.

"I think you're losing it Melly…" Silas said shifting his eyes back and forth, while dropping his lower lip to reveal his bottom teeth. It was faces like these that reminded me that we really were related. Besides having the same black hair, nose, and build (I was more feminine than he) there was nothing else, physically, that would signify that we were twins. Except for the facial expressions. We always pulled the same silly faces and photographs. When we were being sarcastic, when we were being serious, when we were sad, when we were angry, when we were excited, when we thought something was funny, we always had the same facial expressions.

"Alright kids, it's time to get moving! We're going to run out of time in the parking meter," Mom said, "Silas, you and Melanie can each take one of Liam's bags."

I tried to reach out and grab one of the suitcase handles from Liam. He looked at me with wide eyes. _I__won__'__t__tell_ I mouthed back at him. Fucking hell, this was getting off to a _great_ start now, wasn't it?

"So, Liam, Hun, are you hungry or anything? We can stop for a bite to eat on the way home if you like," my mom asked as she helped load the suitcases into the trunk of our silver Volkswagen Passat.

"Uhm, no thank you Mrs. McAdams. I had plenty to eat on the plane," He said hoisting the last bag into the trunk.

"Oh please, call me Jen, or Mom even. Either works fine. But if you're going to be living with us, I won't be having any of this Mrs. McAdams nonsense."

"Okay… Jen!" He said elbowing her in the side and grinning. Oh God, his accent. I was going to completely love having him stay in the room next to mine. I mean,

who wouldn't.

The entire way home, Mum and Silas bombarded him with questions about England. What's the food like? How's the weather? Does everyone have an accent? What kind of TV is popular there? Liam was such a good sport he answered them all and firing back with his own. There was an awkward lull in the conversation a few minutes before we arrived home. Silas filled the silence, "Are the girls hotter over there?" Of course he would say that. "Because, I mean Melanie, she always talks about how boys here should dress better, and look better like the guys over in England."

"Silas!" I screeched, digging my elbow into his ribs.

"Melanie!" He screamed, grabbing at my arm and twisting it behind my back, and causing me to smash my face into the window.

"SILAS!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, trying to throw my head back and bash it into his nose.

"Liam!" Liam piped up from the front seat. Damn, this kid had a sense of humor.

Silas released my arm. I turned around to face him and we both burst into one of the worst fits of laughter I'd ever experienced over one simple word. I swear, once we were finished I had a six pack and three years added onto my life.


	2. Chapter 2

Once we had Liam unpacked and settled in, I took the first chance I got to text my best gal pal, Sam. _'__He__'__s __here!__' _Of course, I didn't have to specify who 'he' was. Sam knew he was coming. She's been obsessing over it with me for weeks!

'_Oh, __LORD! __Finally! __What__'__s __he __like? __Is __he __cute? __DOES __HE __HAVE __AN __ACCENT?__' _She replied almost immediately.

'_What are you talking about? Of course he has an accent! And oh goodness, wait till you see him! He's amazing!'_

'_Can I come over? Please please please please please?'_

'_Yeah, just wait a couple minutes, so you don't seem too eager.'_

As usual, Sam didn't listen. She was barging her way into my room three minutes later. "Alright, where is he?" She demanded.

"You don't just come smashing into my room demanding to see my exchange student," I scolded, grabbing my pillow from my bed and tossing it at her head.

"Hey, I'm curious about this boy who has unexpectedly won over your heart," She said shrugging.

"I never said he'd won my heart!" I said throwing an empty Dixie cup at her.

"Yeah, okay. Sure." She said reaching into my drawer where I keep my secret stash of candy bars.

"Those are not for—"

"Yes they are," She opened a pack of Reese's Peanut Buttercups and shoved one in her mouth.

"No they're not! They're for when I get overloaded with school work and need a little bit of happy to enter my life," I said trying to grab the orange package out of her hands.

"Yuno, thesrrelgud," Sam said through a mouthful of peanut butter and chocolatey goodness.

"Yeah, uh huh, that's why I have them."

There was a knock on my door. "Erm, Melanie… Your mum says it's time for dinner," a deep velvety voice mumbled from just outside the room. Sam and I turned around to see Liam leaning against the door frame. Someone was obviously feeling comfortable in my house.

"Holy. Shit." Sam whispered, staring at Liam like she wanted take him and shove him in her mouth like she'd done with my Reese's.

I whacked her in the shoulder. "Err, Liam this is Sam, Sam this is Liam." I said quickly trying to get the awkward introduction over with. Sam just stood there, with her mouth opening and closing like a fish gulping in water.

"Hi, Sam," Liam said nodding in acknowledgement.

"H-hi," This was not like Sam. This wasn't like her at all. Sam is _that_ girl. The loud one, the one that always has an opinion and isn't afraid to voice it. She does not stutter and get flustered around boys. "You, my friend, are extremely hot." Okay, Sam was back.

"Uhh, okay. Just come to dinner," Liam said backing out of the doorway.

"Way to go Sam! Just scare off all the attractive males come into my room, why don't you?" I sighed. We collected ourselves and skittered down the hallway and into the kitchen.

"Yo, Ma! What's cookin'?" I asked as we rounded the corner and sat at the table.

"Mabu tofu and miso soup," My mom said placing a dish in front of me.

"Oh, so on Liam's first night in America, we make him Asian food?" Silas said sarcastically.

"Don't talk to your mother that way," My dad growled at my brother.

"I'm just saying…" Silas said, turning his attention to his food.

"Is there even such a thing as American cuisine?" I asked trying to save my brother from getting himself into even deeper trouble. Silas tapped my foot twice under the table to thank me. It's another one of those twin things. I kicked him in the shin, as payback for the car earlier. That wasn't a twin thing, it genuinely pissed me off.

"So, Mrs. M, how do you feel about having an attractive male living in the room next to your daughter?" Oh Sam, you never cease to make our dinner conversations awkward.

"SAM!" I spat my soup all over the table.

"Oh, look. You got soup all over Liam! Come here, dear. Let me help you," Sam said reaching across the table and swiping at Liam's face.

"Sam, sit down. Melanie, go get the paper towels and clean up this mess," My mom said trying to keep a straight face.

"I'm so sorry Liam," I stood up from the table and went over to grab the paper towels and handed one to Liam, who wiped his face. His beautiful face. Wait. What? I shouldn't think like this.

"Don't worry about it, it needed a wash anyways," he shrugged and brushed it off like it was nothing. I'd just spit soup on him. Out of my mouth and he didn't seem to mind that my dirty American germs were all over his face. Maybe some had gotten in his mouth. That would be kind of like kissing. Whoa there, gotta keep m thoughts in check.

I was just about to sit back down when there was a knock on the front door. "I'll get it!" Sam screamed, jumping up and making a mad dash for the door. I swear, this girl walked around like she lived here. Well, the practically did. "Oh, hey Adam!" I heard her say as she opened the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Shit. I'd forgotten about him. I made my way over there. "Hi Ad," I said as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into a hug and I responded by melting into him, breathing in his Hollister cologne. I loved the way he smelled. There was something about Adam that just made me feel… special. We were kind of like Robbie and Georgia from 'Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging'. He was that guy that everyone wanted and I was just the girl who could only dream about having a boyfriend. We started out in the same gym class, he thought I was kind of strange, but I guess I grew on him.

"I heard Liam was here, finally," He said peering around the corner. Sam was probably to blame for his sudden arrival, not that I minded. I was starting to feel guilty about fawning over Liam's attractiveness. I had this amazing boyfriend, whom I was so lucky to call mine, and I'd spent basically the entire day practically drooling at my exchange student, who had the makings of a pop star. Can you say 'dilemma'? "Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" Adam asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah," I took his hand and pulled him into the kitchen. "Liam, Adam, Adam Liam," I said pointing from one to the other.

"Hello, Adam. Do you live here too?" Liam asked.

"Naw, I just come by a lot to hang out with Melly," He said, snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me close to his side.

"Oh, I see," Liam laughed, turning his attention back to his nearly empty plate of Asian food. We'd been at the table for all of ten minutes, and he was already finished. What a little piggy.

"Scarfed that down fast enough, Liam?" I asked, motioning towards the dish and giggling a bit.

"Oh," He chuckled, "yeah… I guess I really was hungry after all. Can I have some more?" He sounded like he'd just come out of Oliver Twist or whatever that book is where the orphan boy says 'please sir, can I have some 'ore'.

"Yeah, sure," I walked over to the stove and brought Liam the pan of mabu tofu.

"Can I really have the whole thing?" He asked eagerly, eyes open wide.

"If you really want to, but we wont have any for lunch tomorrow if you do."

"NO, LIAM! DON'T EAT IT!" Silas yelled, trying to pull the pan away from Liam, who kept a firm grip on the handle.

"Why ever not?" He asked, confused.

"She's probably poisoned it!"

"That's enough Silas!" Mum scolded, "Liam, hun, it's not poisoned. But you should save some for later."

"I know it wasn't poisoned!" He said sarcastically, "But I really wasn't going to eat much more."

I could feel Adam's warm hands on my shoulders and I went completely jelloid inside. It had been like this since second semester of freshman year.

"Mum, can I walk Adam home?" I asked, pleading with my eyes.

"Ask your father."

"Daddy, can I—"

"No." Of course. There would be no fun for Melanie today.

"Can he stay for a bit then?" I turned back to my mom.

"No, it's alright, really. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Adam ruffled my hair and turned to leave. I followed him to the door.

"Bye…" I sighed loudly, pouting a little bit. My eyes met Adam's gorgeous blue-green ones. His face softened.

"Hey, you and I, we're going out tomorrow. It will be a lovely Sunday in the park, sound good?" He asked, pulling me close.

"Mhm," my voice was muffled by his lacrosse team jacket that I was burying my face into. Why did he have to smell so damn good? It doesn't make sense. It's like… superhuman. His cologne made me want to rip his shirt off and run my fingers though his brown hair, placing kisses all over him, wherever I pleased. But, of course, I couldn't let my horny teenage mind control my actions, so I settled for staring intently into his mesmerizing eyes that never failed to give me butterflies. He responded by bringing his forehead down to mine. "I'll see you tomorrow then," I said.

"Yeah, tomorrow." I felt his soft lips brush against mine and he spoke. I pressed my mouth against his. "I'll come by around eleven," He told me once we parted.

"Can't wait," I'm pretty sure my smile was bigger than the state of Texas. I shut the door behind Adam after he left and returned to the kitchen, where Sam and Liam were deep in conversation.


	4. Chapter 4

"All I'm saying is that if you're British, then you have an accent," Sam said, pointing a fork at Liam.

"And all I'm saying is that I like American accents, they're quite cool." His Englishness was rather cute.

"Actually, Liam, you're in America now. You're the one with the accent."

"Ah, but Sam, you must remember, I'm British. I'm not used to hearing the way you speak here," he responded. He was making sense, which was weird. No one ever made sense to me besides Silas, and I'm pretty sure that's just because we have that whole twin telepathy thing going on.

"Sam, I think it's time you head home. It will be getting dark soon and I don't think you parents would want you walking home in the dark," my mom said, filling up the kitchen sink to wash the dishes.

"You can just tell me to get lost instead of making up excuses, Mrs. M. You know my parents won't be home for a while." Sam brought her dirty dishes to the sink. I don't understand why my mom insists on washing out plates by hand when we have a perfectly fine dishwasher.

"Alright Sam, get lost. No, I'm only joking. But seriously, you should start heading home. I don't feel comfortable with you leaving in the dark." Mom got tired of Sam after a while. She was just too crazy for her.

"Okay, bye Mrs. M. Bye Melanie, bye Silas," Sam said, slipping on her shoes.

"Uh, you're forgetting someone," I pointed out.

"Oh, right! Bye Ren," She squatted down to pet my cat, which was linking between her ankles. "Just kidding; Later, Liam." And then she was gone.

"Erm, Fake Mum, I'm rather sleepy. You know, let lag and all. Do you think maybe I could go to bed?" Liam asked, all innocent and British.

"Of course, dear, go right ahead," my mom said lovingly. When I ask to go to bed early she's all:Melanie, not now. There's work to be done. And this kid comes along all: Oh fake mum, I'm so sleepy. It's from travelling. Well, kiss my ass newcomer. Once Liam left the room, my mom turned to me, "Melanie, can you go make sure Liam has everything he needs?"

"Why can't I do it?" Silas whined. "I mean, why does she always get to do everything? He's mine too!" That we possibly the most awkward thing I'd ever heard my brother say. He's mine too… what even?

"Because, she can me mature about it, and won't keep him up pestering him about 'hot British girls'"

"Mom, you are so not cool," Silas tossed his plate and glass into the sink. Soapy water splashed all over me.

"GAH! Silas!" I yelped, giving him an ugly look.

"Sorry Melly. Oh wait, actually I'm not." I stuck my tongue out at him in response. Silas stormed off to the living room, plopped himself on the couch, and turned on the Television.

I left the kitchen and walked down the hallway, sliding my sock covered feet on the hardwood floor like an ice skater. I stopped at Liam's door and knocked, hitting the wooden door quickly three times with my knuckles. I opened the door before he had time to answer. "Jeeze! Melanie! What if I had been naked or something?" He was smiling at bit.

"Oh, wouldn't that be quite a sight?" I just wanted to get out of there. Not only was I completely uncomfortable having a stranger sleeping in the room next to me, but there was something about him. Maybe it was his face, I don't know. But it was giving me that weird bubbly feeling in my stomach.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I err… My mom wants to know if you have everything you need." I was stammering again.

"Melanie, why do you always talk to me like you're frightened?"

"I don't know." I was wringing my hands, looking down at my feet.

"Is it because I'm new? Or is it something else?" He furrowed his eye brows together like he was contemplating whether or not to tell me something important.

There were so many questions I wanted to ask. I couldn't find the right words to say. "I just… I don't understand why you don't want my family to know about you and that whole X Factor thing. I don't know how long I can keep your secret because Sam, well Sam was the one who first told me about that show so I'm pretty sure she knows who you are. I don't know if she's made the connection yet, but she will. And it doesn't help that I don't know anything about you!" I blurted out. Liam just sat there on his bed, completely silent. "Just forget I've said any of that." I said quickly and tried to turn to leave.

"Wait! Melanie come back." He called after me. I slowly spun around to face him. "Come sit. Let's get to know each other." He patted the spot on the bed next to where he was sitting.

"I thought you were going to bed."

"No, this is more important. I feel like we've started off on the wrong foot and I want to set things right. Please?" He looked so sincere, like it would really mean something to him if I stayed and listened.

"Alright…" I walked over to the bed and sat down on the end staring intently at my hands, which were placed in my lap.

"Okay, let's just start over. From scratch, like making cookies or something," He said trying to lighten the mood.

I nodded. "That sounds good."

"Hi, I'm Liam, Liam Payne and I'm your exchange student." He offered his hand out to me. I shook it enthusiastically.

"I'm Melanie!" I smiled.

"Oh, I know where I'm coming for a hand job." His accent made what he said even funnier. I just stared at him for a second with an open mouth and I giggled. "Oh, I'm sorry. That was completely inappropriate, with you having a boyfriend and all…"

"It's fine, it was funny." I was still chuckling slightly.  
>"Say, you look familiar," I said continuing with our little act of starting over.<p>

He knew where I was headed. "Oh, you've probably heard about my failed attempt at getting on the X Factor. People at my school still haven't stopped speaking about it, so decided to take a year to study in the US where I wouldn't have to have so many reminders of it. But, I guess I haven't been able to escape it, and that's alright with me." He explained.

"Simon said for you to go back and try again though…"

"Yes, and I plan on doing exactly that. Only this time, I'll make it all the way," He said simply. "But I still want to be treated like a normal kid here, not some minor celebrity wanna be. So I would greatly appreciate it if you wouldn't say anything to anybody. Let them figure it out on their own." He was being overly formal because of our game.

"Okay, I can do that." I agreed.

"Thank you, Melanie." I got up off the bed and walked to the door.

"Good night Liam."

"'Night, oh and Melanie, next time you come on my bed, it won't be to talk."


End file.
